Fractured Lotus
by innocent-rebel
Summary: When Tsunade threatens to remove Lee from Guy's team after the amount of injuries he's sustained, there's nothing Guys more against. But just because he doesn't want to, doesn't mean it's the wrong thing to do. Team Guy centric, mostly Guy & Lee not slash
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Author's notes: Not really much to say. Wrote awhile ago, but not put up...because...I don't know. XD Takes place after the anime fillers 195 and 196 when Guy and Lee got trapped in the castle by an imposter. Also, on a side note though it won't really be gone in this story, I do base Tenten's past on something a friend of mine came up with where Guy acted as kind of a surrogate father to her. Again though, not really gone into, just touched on briefly at points. Anyways, please let me know what you think and most importantly, please enjoy. For that is why we write.

X

"I told him no lotus and you have him open the gates?" Tsunade's voice reverberated off the walls as she threw a thick volume at Guy's head, and when that missed she slammed her fist into his face. A split second later, Guy found himself smashed through a wall and laying upside down outside the Hokage's office.

Guy groaned as he forced himself to turn over and get back up. He knew it'd be bad when he told the fifth what happened but he couldn't hide it from her. Not when Lee came back on a stretcher. Besides, Sakura had already told her what happened and now seemed to be hiding for her life. Poor kid. He didn't think any of the past Hokages had been half as volatile as this woman.

With a quick check through the hole in the wall to make sure she didn't have any lethal weapon, Guy came back inside through the door. Bowing as if this was the first time he'd entered.

"I know it's no excuse, and I take full responsibility for what happened, but it was the only way out." he said as he stood in front of the woman, and watched her slump down into her desk. He felt a knot settle in his throat as he thought about what he'd just said. Opening the gates wasn't the only thing they could have done. They could have stayed. Could have fought to the death and if he hadn't figured out it was Lee, they would have. In that instance, Guy would have liked to say Lee would have won and have carried on. But he knew if they'd continued, with Lee's body so damaged, he would have been killed.

The thought that he could have killed Lee in combat had kept him up at night recently. Or worse, he'd fall asleep and wake in a cold sweat. At least with opening the gates, there was a chance Lee would survive.

Tsunade sighed as she rubbed her temples and took a quick drink from her sake bottle. Probably to make sure she didn't beat him with it.

"I understand that..." she said after a moment. "but what I don't think you or Lee understand is the damage his body sustained and is still recovering from."

Guy readied himself for another lecture, ready to explain why neither he nor Lee could just stop training so easily. What he didn't expect was what Tsunade had to say next.

"If Lee keeps training like this, for the boy's own safety...I will remove him from your squad."

All the air rushed out of Guy's lung's as if he'd been sucker punched, and there didn't seem to be any left in the room as he gasped, nearly choking as he stared at his superior. She...she wasn't serious. There was no way she would do that. She hadn't been around to see how Lee was before; with only his hard work going for him and little else. Even his self confidence was starting to wane and if he hadn't been there...Guy didn't know. He couldn't imagine Lee giving up, but he didn't know where he'd be now. Dead maybe? Lost on a mission because no one could relate to what he was dealing with or knew what to teach him? It was another thought that dried his mouth and caused his fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white and the tendons bulged.

Tsunade wasn't serious. That thought kept repeating over and over inside his head. It was just a scare tactic. Something she'd dangle overhead to get him to back off. After the incident with Gaara, Lee had been out of commission until the surgery. But before that, once Guy started coaching him, his team became one of the most effective genin teams and after Lee was up again they resumed that role. The Hokage was to smart to mess with such a successful equation!

Before he could call her bluff though, she folded her arms and sat back in her chair.

"I'm not bluffing, Guy. I know what the boy means to you. One only has to watch you two for a minute to know you look at him like a son. But at the rate things are going, I don't know what else to do. It seems like the more I tell you two idiots to be careful, the more he pushes himself and the more you let him push!" there was a flicker of anger in her eyes. "Lee has all the potential to be a fine ninja. Maybe even pass the chuunin exams in a few years. But all of that can still be destroyed and I know for a fact he would not survive a second operation."

Guy still wasn't able to get enough air to think clearly, or even breath properly. The only thing keeping him standing right now was sheer willpower and the need to prove to Tsunade that Lee needed to stay on his team.

"So for at least two weeks, at the very LEAST!" she pointed a painted finger at the man. "No training. None. Nothing! I don't care if he finds a way to do pushups with his tongue, you stop him!"

"L...lee will not take being confined so easily..." it was the stupidest thing Guy could have said, but it was only thing that came out.

"And will he take any easier to being disabled?" she shouted, standing up so suddenly her chair jerked backward and crashed to the floor. "I'm warning you, Guy. If you care for the boy as much as I think you do, keep him from training! I'm not saying he has to spend all day in bed, but he cannot keep abusing his body like this! You're responsible for him. No matter how you feel or how bad you want him to succeed, your first priority is not his dream! It is making sure he can be an affective ninja to help our village and if you can't do that, someone else can."

He had been stabbed before. He had been poisoned and beaten and attacked by wild animals that nearly ripped him apart. None of that pain compared though to what the Fifth was telling him. She was serious about this. If Lee did anything, anything at all, she would remove him.

A moment of silence settled over the two before Guy found enough air to speak again.

"I...understand..." he said, straightening up and sucking in a deep breath through his nose. It felt like pins were sticking up and tearing at his insides as it went down to his lungs. "I will tell Lee there is to be no training for..."

"Until I say so." Tsunade barked, then pulled four slips of paper from her desk and handed them to Guy. His hand shook as he took them and looked down at the name.

Tao Hot springs? Why'd she give him this?

"To make sure that no training goes on, I'm sending you and your team away for a bit. There's a hot springs in a small village not far from here where I know a physical therapist. She'll work with Lee. For the rest of you, consider it some time off."

Guy stared at the small notes, then back up at the Hokage. Why was she sending them away for physical therapy? Why not just do it here? As much as his team might appreciate it, a vacation seemed more like her thing than theirs.

As if reading his mind, Tsunade started to answer.

"Normally I'd do the therapy here, but considering it's Lee, it'd be a waste." she went on before Guy could erupt in anger. "He won't stop training if he stays here. Especially not if he's anywhere near that dojo of his. He'll just keep hurting himself. Trying to stay true to his ninja way and make you proud." there was a mix of understanding and frustration in that last statement. "Maybe if he's away though, it will give him time to rest...and it will also give you time to think about if he should stay on your team."

Guy's eyes widened.

"What?" he bellowed. Did she mean that wasn't just a threat and was now something she wanted him to think about? Was she drunk? He slammed his hands on the front of her desk, causing the sake bottle to rattle and slosh over as he glared at her. "There is nothing to think about! Lee has been my student for years, and I will not even think of having him moved to another team!"

Tsunade seemed stuck between slugging or choking him. In the end she folded her arms across her chest, and decided to take a softer approach.

"I'm just asking you to think about it. Lee has achieved wonderful things under your tutelage, but he's also been gravely injured. All for a dream. One that you taught him forbidden techniques in order to help him achieve." she narrowed her eyes, before they softened and she shook her head. "I have to wonder if maybe we removed you from the equation for a bit...if he wouldn't learn to accept his limits and push slowly, rather than kill himself to burst through all at once."

At that point Guy didn't know what to say that wouldn't get him killed or Lee removed from his team immediately. All he could think about though was how against it he was. How nothing would change his mind and even if Lee was taken off his team that didn't mean he'd cease training him! Even if it undermined the Hokage, he couldn't abandon Lee like that. Not after everything. So what if he'd taught him forbidden techniques? It wasn't like he was the only one to teach their students dangerous things. And Lee could handle it! That's why he taught him. If Guy had had any doubts as to Lee's ability he never would have coached him on how to do it. Despite what people might think, he wasn't an idiot.

After picking up her chair, Tsunade sat down, brushed some dirt from her jacket and took another drink from her sake bottle.

"You're excused." she said.

Guy didn't waste time heading for the door. Before he made it though, he felt another book slam against the back of his head with a loud thud. When he whipped around, the Hokage was glaring at him.

"And next time you spill my sake, I'm going to attach an exploding tag to those teeth of yours!"

For his sake, common sense took hold of his tongue before anger did and he apologized before retreating through the door.

X

"Have him removed from the team..." Guy repeated to himself as he walked down the halls of the hospital towards Lee's room. The smell of bleach was everywhere in this place, and other chemical smells mixed together to burn his eyes and nose. He blinked rapidly to get the moisture from his eyes; though he was sure it wasn't all from his surroundings.

He couldn't imagine his team without Lee! There were jokes, he knew, between Tenten and Neji that if Lee had not been there they would have adopted his strange ways. But it wasn't just that. It was what Lee brought to the team that Guy couldn't imagine being without. Enthusiasm even when no one else had it, optimism even when the odds were stacked against them, humility he'd learned from being deemed a 'loser', and the will to never give up. Lee had brought all that and more. Helping the others when they needed it, and even him. There were times he wondered if after everything was said and done, if he'd made a difference. Had he really reached or helped anyone? Or...had they ignored him because of how different he was from the other jounin and passed him off as a goof?

Besides helping Tenten when she needed it, he wasn't sure if he'd really done much in way of helping the future generation. Not that he'd ever say so out loud, but maybe that was why it ate at him sometimes. Then Lee came along and wanted to do everything he did. He wanted to learn and strived to be the best he could be and Lee had shown Guy that he did make a difference. That some people could see beyond the exterior and...as much as some might say it was the worst thing a teacher could do, Guy did think of Lee as his son. It was hard not to.

"Two hundred and twelve. Two hundred and thirteen, two hundred and...ahhh!" the noise coming from Lee's room broke into Guy's thoughts and sent him speeding down the hall faster than anyone thought possible.

"Lee!" he nearly skidded into the wall as he flung open the door, not knowing what he'd find, but imaging the worst.

What he found was Lee lying on the bed as he breathed heavily and his sheets were tied around the end of the bed, keeping his ankles in place.

"Good morning...Guy-sensei." Lee gasped, a sheepish grin spread across his face. "I was not able to get up for a run this morning as I thought I would be...but I did not let time go to waste!"

His eyes sparkled and Guy felt something inside his chest crack.

Without saying a word, Guy came over and untied the knotted sheets.

"Wait...I have not..." Lee tried to stop his sensei, but his breathing was coming in shallow gasps.

"You've done enough for now." Guy said softly, forcing a smile on a face, and quickly looking over at Lee's left side. Had he ripped any stitches? After opening five of the inner gates, Lee seemed to be alright. Until they were an hour into their journey back. Then the pain finally made it past his defenses and had him buckling and barely able to breath. If Sakura hadn't been there, it might have been even worse. Apparently, his side had started to open up during the jutsu, and over time it had gotten worse. There was slight internal damage, but nothing major, and his right leg was now more swollen than when it had first been injured in the sparring match. All in all, he wasn't as bad off as he could have been, but with his body in the state it was, it had almost been life threatening.

"Guy-sensei..." Lee started after he was able to push himself into a sitting position, biting back a wince at the pain in his side. "what did, Lady Tsunade want? Is it another mission? You will take me won't you?"

The passion in his eyes made Guy feel his own heat up.

_'Guy-sensei, if it is to protect the most important person to me, then you will forgive me for using that technique, won't you?' _Lee's words from when they were trapped inside the castle came rushing back through his mind.

He was the most important person in the world to Lee. How could he tell him what Tsunade said and what she wanted to do? He knew he'd have to tell him eventually, so nothing would ever come as a surprise but how could he...where did he start? Would Lee think he was disappointed with him or upset? Would he think Guy had suggested it in order to make room for someone who wasn't injured? He knew from their talk on the way back, that Ryudoin had said several things to Lee about how Guy was a liar, or simply felt sorry for him. His student had withstood the mental attacks, but...Lee was always so desperate for some kind of praise or affection Guy wondered if it hadn't done more damage than his student let on.

"Are you alright, Guy-sensei?" Lee asked softly, finally getting his breathing under control.

Guy nodded, rubbing at his eyes.

"Always so ready for life's newest challenge despite the pain! You're growing up so fast, Lee!" if he wasn't worried about hurting the boy, he would have pulled him into a hug. Instead he wiped furiously at his eyes. "No...no mission." he sniffed. "She simply wanted to see me about the Ryudoin incident. She's worried that you had to open the gates again."

"You didn't get in trouble did you?" Lee asked, a look of fear crossing his face. No one who'd met Tsundae even once when she was angry would ever wish that on anyone else. "After all, it was my choice too! And...I can go and talk..."

"Stay in bed, Lee." Guy said, putting his hand on his student's shoulder to keep him from standing. "She also wanted to tell me something. There's a small village not far from here with a physical therapist she'd like you to see. She'd do it herself but..."

"She's Hokage." the boy smiled. "She can't do it all."

Guy hated the fact he was hiding the truth, but he nodded. Until he knew how to tell Lee what Tsunade said, he'd wait. There was no use frightening the boy unnecessarily. There was no use even thinking about it.

So why wouldn't it leave him alone?

"We'll be leaving first thing tomorrow! Tenten and Neji are coming as well, and since we're going to a hot springs I expect you two boys to be on your best behavior!" he folded his arms, cocking an eyebrow. Youth was wonderful, but sometimes it gave young men bad ideas about sneaking peeks at young women.

Of course he doubted either of his students would think that way! Besides, Tenten would probably kill whoever did before he could even raise his fist.

"Yes sir!" Lee brought his bandaged hand up in a salute. "Until then, what should I do? I can't run, but we could go to the training hall and I could time you, or we could see who can do the most thumb pushups! Or..." he started to come up with more things he could do and Guy's heart started pounding harder and harder with every suggestion.

"You're responsible for him. No matter how you feel or how bad you want him to succeed, your first priority is not his dream! It is making sure he can be an affective ninja to help our village and if you can't do that, someone else can."

Someone else...

"All of those are wonderful suggestions, but not right now." Guy interrupted a little to fast causing Lee to stop mid sentence. "You just got back yesterday, and for awhile I'd like you to take it easier on yourself."

"But...sensei, how can I improve if I don't train? I can do it!" desperation tinted his voice.

"I know you can, but...well let's just take it easy. I don't want you hurting yourself alright? As important as it is for a ninja to push through and beyond their limits...sometimes it's just as important for them to listen to them."

Lee stared at him wide eyed for several seconds as if trying to decide if this was some kind of trick or test. Some new way Guy had come up with to challenge his dedication. Guy wished it was.

"I...but...yes sir." Lee finally sighed when Guy refolded his arms. "What should I do though? I can't spend all day in bed."

That was something Guy completely agreed with!

"Why don't you take a walk with your teammates outside? The fresh air would do you good and you might be able to find a certain someone..." he gave his student a wink and Lee's face instantly heated up as a smile took over. Guy bit back a laugh. Even a blind man could tell Lee had long ago gone beyond head over heels for Sakura. Simply the thought of seeing her was enough to raise his spirits and soon he was edging out of bed and trying to get ready as fast as he could. Maybe he could ask Tsunade if Sakura could come with them as well? It might keep Lee's attention off of training and having another girl would be good for Tenten.

Even as he tried to turn his thoughts towards happier things and tomorrow though, a small part of him was starting to wonder, starting to whisper that maybe Tsunade had a point. Lee always struggled so hard and Guy always pushed him harder. But...had he pushed him to far? He'd had doubts after Lee's fight with Gaara about whether he was a suitable teacher for the boy...and now with things as they were, those thoughts were starting to come up again from all the dark corners of his mind.

To Be Continued...

Author's notes: Hoped you guys liked it! Please let me know what you thought.

Have a Blessed Day

Your friend

innocent-rebel


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto's and Tenten's past when mentioned is based on a good friend of mines.

A/N: Hey all! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and thank you so much for reading and enjoying the story. It really means a lot to me! Not really much to say other than I'm sorry that it took so long for me to get the next part up, but I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought. Here we go!

X

_'Your sensei is nothing but a liar. He only teaches you because he feels pity for you.' Ryudoin smirked as he looked at Lee, his arms folded across his chest._

'That is not true! Guy-sensei teaches me because he believes I can do it and so do I!' Lee snapped back his fists clenching at his side. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten here but somehow he'd wound up back at the wooden castle, trying to save his sensei. He couldn't find him though. No matter how many doors he opened or how many times he called out, he couldn't find him. Instead, he'd found Ryudoin in Yagura's form, staring at him from the top of a wooden dummy and laughing.

'You're a fool if you believe anything that man teaches you. Deep down, you know hard work can't match up to real talent. And no matter how you try to lie to yourself, you can't change it.'

Lee snarled and lunged forward.

'Enough! Where is my sensei?' he screamed as he attacked, leaping up high and spinning around, he swept up his leg to catch Ryudoin under the chin. He'd already moved though and not even a second later, Lee felt a sharp pain in his back, sending him forward and smashing into the dummy. He felt like he had so many years ago when he'd tripped on the rope and gone headfirst into the tree stump. Now though, there was no Guy-sensei to come and help.

Forcing himself up, Lee whirled around, bringing his fists up. Instead of Ryudoin though stood Tsunade.

'La...'

'It's best if you give up being a shinobi.' she said coldly. 'Whatever your dream's are, you can't achieve them now.'

'B...but the surgery...' Lee started.

'Was a failure. You might be alive, but even your sensei knows. That's why he wants you to rest. He knows you can't do it.' she folded her arms, staring at him through cold blue eyes.

Lee jerked back as if he'd been struck.

'T...that's a lie! That's a lie and you know it!' he shot off towards the woman, not caring that she was Hokage. No one lied about his sensei like that! Not even her! No one made things up about him and got away with it!

She moved away from him like water, shifting and turning, avoiding even his most powerful attacks.

'Gate of life, open!' he shouted, feeling energy surge through his body and renewing his attacks.

'That won't help you, Lee.' Tsunade's voice grew colder.

'Ahhhhhhhh!' his scream tore through the room, shaking the wooden beams as he pushed himself off of them, attacking again and again. A sharp pain in his gut sent him flying backwards and skidding across the floor.

'You're nothing but a failure, Lee. Just learn to accept it.' Neji's voice caught him by surprise and he looked up to see the boy glaring down at him. 'It's not something you can change.'

Lee felt his chest tighten and his eyes narrow as he stared at the genius. Why would...but...Neji said he could surpass them all! That he believed it! Neji had said that at the Ramen shop with Naruto and Tenten! Lee remembered!

'I only said that because I knew you were listening. Do you actually I think I meant it?"

'If you did not, then you will!' Lee was up again, charging as fast as he could. He could feel blood trickling from his arms and legs from the intense pressure put on them and every breath was painful, but he wasn't going to stop. The smell just pushed him on. He'd show Neji. He'd show everyone. Guy-sensei hadn't lied! Hard work could overcome genius!

'Just like it overcame me?' a cold voice caught him from behind and he turned just in time to see a mountain of sand shoot towards him and wrap around his right arm and leg. No! Not again! No! 'You were not cut out for this life. You're sensei is just finally beginning to see it.'

Gaara was staring at him with a deranged smile on his face as he threw him around like a rag doll. Slamming him into a wall and then crushing him into the ground.

Lee let out a scream of pain and horror as he was struck again and again by the wave of sand. This time though, instead of being driven into the stone floors of the castle, he was being driven into mud.

'Hot blooded dropout!' children's voices taunted from the air. 'Loser! You'll never be a ninja.'

'I...will...to! I will be a splendid ninja! Just watch...' Lee growled as he tried and failed to push himself up on his elbows despite the pain that wracked his body. His head spun and he felt bile creeping up his throat. Just as suddenly as the pain came though, it left. Leaving him lying near a stump, his face soaked with tears and pressed to the ground. He could feel the weight of his headband against his forehead and his loose black hair dangled in front of his eyes.

Forcing himself to look around, he turned over on his back and stared up into the sky. The sun was fading fast and his breathing was coming in slow gasps. Where...was he? He...this wasn't the castle! So...

The training ground! He looked behind to see the worn stump, then felt himself brighten as he heard a voice behind him.

'Lee, taking a break already?'

He forced himself up and spun around to see Guy-sensei staring at him with his arms folded and a small grin on his face. There was something different about the grin, but Lee didn't pay attention to it.

'Sensei! I...'

'It's probably for the best.' Guy said cutting Lee off.

'W...what is?' Lee stared at his hero, not sure what he was talking about.

'That you're taking a break. You're obviously not cut out to be a shinobi. No matter how much work you put into it...' he sighed and shook his head.

'Sensei no! No! I...that's not true! You told me...'

'I was just being nice. You know how it is...but it's a waste of time. Anyone can see that.' Guy-sensei looked over at him, and though the voice remained his, as he opened his mouth, his entire face changed. 'You're not worth anything, Lee.'

'N...no! No wait! Sensei! Wait...' Lee ran after the man as he began disappearing. But it wasn't his sensei he was seeing. It was someone else. 'Wait! Please...' 

"Father!" Lee screamed as he sat straight up in bed, his chest heaving as he stared at a blank wall. His mind spun and his body felt as if it were made of lead. His dark eyes darted around the room frantically, trying to remember where he was and what he was doing here. This wasn't his home! This wasn't the training ground! This... "ahhhh!" he let out a cry of pain as he doubled over, holding his side.

As intense as it was, the pain was just what he needed to bring him back to reality.

He was in the hospital again. After he'd fought to free his sensei, he'd been hurt and had to come back. They were leaving today for a smaller village...they were all leaving together. No one was leaving him behind. His sensei wasn't leaving him behind! His...

Cursing in a way no one would believe, he slammed his fist against the bed and brought his knees to his chest, burying his face in them. Why did he keep having these dreams? Why did he keep seeing that man? That...he hated him! Lee hated him more than he hated anyone in the world, but ever since he'd seen Ryudoin leave with Guy-sensei, even if it was all a trick, he couldn't stop thinking about him.

His father...why did he...

"You're not a failure." he whispered. "You're not! Guy-sensei believes in you! He does! It was just a bad dream...just a dream." he repeated to himself over and over as he wiped his eyes so hard it hurt. He was only so grateful no one on staff had heard him scream like that. Looking over at the clock on his bedside table, Lee noticed it was six in the morning. Way past when he should be up. The walk with his team yesterday must have tired him out more than he realized, but that was no excuse. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Lee untangled himself from his sheets and climbed out of bed. Guy-sensei would already be at the training hall by now.

Pulling on his suit, legwarmers and finally adjusting his headband Lee picked up his crutch and hobbled to the door. He would make his sensei proud of him! He would try harder than ever to make up for his current injury. Everyone told him to rest, but they didn't understand! He couldn't stop...he had to prove he was worth what his teacher taught him. He had to prove it so they wouldn't leave him behind.

X

By the time his team plus Sakura headed out, Guy couldn't have felt more stressed out. He put on a smile for everyone else, but he was shaking inside. Lee had been training this morning. Instead of going to the training hall like he usually did in the morning, Guy had headed out to the training spot he and Lee shared and began working on several new techniques. Once Lee was better, he planned on teaching him.

When he stopped by the hospital an hour later, he'd found out that Lee had left already and he nearly had a panic attack as he tore through Konoha looking for him. Half an hour later at the training hall, he found Lee gasping for breath and using the wooden practice dummy to keep himself standing. His crutch abandoned at his side.

If Lee hadn't been so injured already, Guy would have slammed his fist into the boy's face. He hated doing it, but it was the best way to get Lee's attention and keep it! He didn't tough. For a minute he couldn't even move as he stared horrified at the boy and felt as if Tsunade was watching over his shoulder that very second. Breathing down his neck and planning what team to move Lee to.

He'd been broken out of his stupor when Lee's legs gave out on him and he'd nearly collapsed on the floor. If Guy hadn't been there to catch him, he could have cracked his head against the training dummy.

_ 'Idiot! What are you doing?' he'd demanded._

'G-guy-sensei?' Lee had blinked, looking up as if he were lost, then smiled as he pushed himself up. 'I'm alright. Training is all...I'm fine!' 

He wasn't fine! Guy didn't think he'd ever wanted to strangle that kid more than he had then! Another part though wanted to praise him. Wanted to cheer him on and continue to challenge him. The village didn't consider Lee a genius but that's because they didn't know him. He was though, and at the chuunin exams even Kakashi had recognized it. That kind of hard earned talent deserved to be challenged so it could be refined and recognized!

Only Tsunade's warning kept him from doing so. Now though, he felt torn again as he walked with the genin.

"I'm not fighting you when we get back, Lee. We both know how it's going to end."

"No! You just think you know." Lee baited Neji.

"Lee, give it a rest. We haven't even been gone half an hour." Tenten sighed, rubbing her temples.

"There is nothing wrong with planning ahead. And when we get back..."

"You're going to rest until Tsunade or I say so and that's final!" Sakura broke in, and Guy let out a small sigh of relief. If there was one person that was possibly better at getting through Lee's thick skull than him, it was Sakura.

"I will be better by the time we get back though. There's no need to worry." Lee grinned.

Then again, maybe not.

"Look, Lee." Sakura started off sweetly, a clear indication something was going to happen. "You're injured enough as it is. So don't make me knock you unconscious and drag you to the village!" Sakura snarled and Guy whipped around in case he had to stop the girl from beating Lee to a pulp. Lee only stared at Sakura as if she had just proclaimed her love for him.

"Sakura, back off." Tenten said from behind and the pink haired girl looked over at her.

Before any kind of relief could take over Guy, Tenten continued.

"He's my teammate. If anyone's knocking him unconscious it's me."

"If I get a choice, I would rather Sakura." Lee said.

Neji groaned. "Idiot..."

"What? What was that?" Lee demanded, forcing himself to go faster to catch up with Neji.

"I called you an idiot!"

"I am not an idiot!"

"I think you're both idiots." Tenten interrupted before it could get out of hand and forced herself between the two, pushing Neji away so there was enough room for Sakura to walk by Lee. "Now, both of you cool it!"

If they were smart, they'd stay quiet. Guy knew from experience how explosive Tenten's temper could be when it concerned people she cared about and the last thing he needed was her beating up both Neji and Lee! He loved his team, but sometimes he wondered if they weren't the reason he found a few gray hairs every now and then. That wasn't supposed to happen for another thirty years!

Fortunately, it seemed Tenten's snarl worked, and the two boys backed off, now turning their attention to the walk.

They couldn't have picked a more perfect day for one either. The sky was bright blue and shinning through the trees giving off a slight green glow, the flowers were in bloom, birds were flitting around building nests or hatching eggs and there was a cool breeze as well. The only thing that could make it better would be if Lee were better. Then maybe they could have some kind of race to the village! Guy knew he'd win, but Lee would definitely come in second! If it had just been the four of them, he might have suggested a race where he carried Lee on his back and Neji carried Tenten. It could be a double team race!

Of course, even without a race he was considering asking if Lee needed some help. It might embarrass him in front of Sakura but it was hard not to think about it. Lee was limping for everything he was worth, holding onto the crutch so tight his knuckles were white and trying to keep up with everyone.

_ 'I won't slow you down, sensei! You won't have to wait for me.' he'd promised right before they'd met the others. _

"Do you think we'll have to camp overnight?" Sakura finally broke the silence.

"I don't know." Tenten shrugged. " Probably not. I think it's close enough we can..." she trailed off as she shot a look at Lee. "But it's probably farther than I'm thinking, so if we need to stop it's..."

Guy watched as Lee shot Tenten a glare from the corner of his eye.

"It is only thirty miles away." he said. "We've covered more distance than that in an hour before."

Tenten shrugged.

"It depends on the route. We might be taking a different..."

"All the routes are short enough we can make it in a day. Right sensei?" Lee looked straight at him and Guy felt caught between agreeing, and saying they'd have to stop. The one condition Tsunade gave so that Lee didn't have to be carried or ride in a chair was that he take it easy. And with Sakura here...well it'd be good to have her, but once he invited her, he realized it could backfire as well. Sakura might take Lee's mind off of training, but she could also report back to Tsunade about anything she saw that concerned her.

"Well it depends..." he settled on. "We might have to stop, but a night under the stars never hurt anyone! It'd be good to spend a night outdoors." he silently pleaded with Lee to just nod and go on talking to Sakura, but Lee shook his head.

"We can sleep outside the inn then! But we can make it one day. I know we can. In fact..." he turned towards Neji who by now seemed on the verge of running back to Konoha. "Neji! I challenge you to a race. If I cannot beat you to the village, then I will run around it five hundred times with extra weights!"

"Forget it! You'd fall flat on your face within the first five minutes."

"Then you accept my challenge? Fine then..."

"Lee!"

"Neji!"

"Go!"

"Hold it!" Guy put his hands up hurriedly in front of the two boys, causing them to come to a complete halt with a sudden jerk. "There's not going to be any racing right now, alright? Lee, with your leg as bad as it is, you know better. Don't do anything to make it worse."

His voice was harsher than he meant it to be, but he forced his face to match. Even as Lee's own turned bright red and he looked like he'd been slapped.

"Yes sir." he said softly.

"Hai sensei." Neji answered politely, but his eyes were on Lee and once Lee looked up again, Guy saw something he never thought he would. "When you're leg is better Lee, we will have our race. Of course I doubt you'll win, but we'll see."

"That might be awhile though, Lee. So don't push it." Guy cut in, feeling sick as he crushed the smile that appeared on his student's face, and inwardly cursed Tsunade, and himself. Lee wasn't used to him telling him not to push it, and Guy wasn't used to it either. It felt wrong. Like someone else had taken control of his body and was saying exactly what would push Lee further from achieving his dream and fill his head with doubts. Guy couldn't help it though. He needed to talk to Lee about what Tsunade said, he knew, but...

How could he assure Lee that those were empty words, when he was beginning to doubt himself?

He'd promised to train the boy. He'd promised to dedicate his life to that and he always kept his promises! But...what if this was a promise that if kept, would hurt Lee more than help him?

Shaking his head, Guy forced a smile to his face as if nothing was wrong, and began pointing out the various plant life he saw to the genin and asking what they knew about tracking and other essential skills. All the while though, he kept watching Lee.

His eyes were trained on the ground now, and even with Sakura by his side, he looked as if someone had just twisted a knife into his back.

X

It was almost night by the time they reached the village and everyone let out a long sigh of relief. They hadn't run into any danger on the journey, but it hadn't exactly been an easy one. Lee had started having trouble halfway through and like a brave fool kept his mouth shut. He didn't say anything even as his leg throbbed and he hobbled along, going steadily slower until everyone noticed and slowed down their pace as well. This infuriated him. What made it worse though was that Sakura wanted to stop and examine his leg. He said he was fine, and thought he'd prove it by picking up his speed. It was when he began to slow down again that he did possibly the most foolish thing he'd done that day.

He started to run. As fast as he could, Lee broke out into a run, trying desperately to prove he was still as capable as ever.

Not even a minute late, his crutch had gotten stuck in a small hole and he'd pitched forward; skidding across the rocky ground and winding up with holes in his suit, a bloodied face, and Guy's patience on it's last leg.

He was alright though. Lee had even been smiling and tried to refuse help when it was offered. Despite his protests though, he wound up being carried on Guy's back for the remainder of the trip and was only now being let off.

"Any chance you can carry your own pack now?" Neji asked Guy once Lee was down. He was currently doubled over under the weight of everyone's pack and looked five seconds away from killing someone. Once Guy had started to carry Lee, Tenten suggested that Neji help by carrying their things. He tried to refuse but one thing led to another and soon Neji was holding everyone's packs. Including Tenten's which was stuffed with weapons along with everything else. But it was good for the boy!

"Ah you can make it to the inn! You don't ever use weights, this'll be good for you." Guy gave Neji a thumbs up, and then felt like kicking himself as he saw Lee.

"I can help." Lee came up next to Neji.

"Can he?" Neji shot Guy a look as they trudged into the small village. Even if Lee was injured, Neji knew he could carry some kind of weight. Just taking Tenten's bag would make things three times lighter.

Guy shook his head, trying to ignore the way Lee's shoulder's slumped.

"Er...not now. Maybe on the way back."

"He's trying to kill me." Neji muttered under his breath and for a split second Guy almost reconsidered. If Lee helped Neji it wouldn't be that bad. It wasn't really training after all. It was just him helping out with something. Tsunade couldn't hold that against him...right?

The thought she could at all forced him to bite his tongue and he stayed with his original decision as they headed further into town. They knew it was going to be small, but it was still a surprise at how small it was. There was a market place with only a few shops and houses were right across from them, leading back into the forest rather into a cultivated area. A small almost shabby school stood next to a public fountain near the middle of the village, and the only thing that didn't look fifty years old was the inn they were headed to and the hot springs next to it. Still, even they didn't look quite like they'd imagined, and the entire village just seemed to be a hodgepodge of buildings, trees and stone walkways all thrown together without a care.

For some reason as well, the shadow's made Guy nervous in this place. Not fearful, but...cautious. Especially as they came closer and he saw a rundown bar only a few hundred yards from the inn. This seemed like a perfect place for someone to either disappear, or cause others to. He'd have to make sure they stayed together. Especially the girls. Even if they could handle themselves, he didn't want them in a situation where they'd have to.

Tsunade must have had some mixed information about this place, that was sure.

"Alright, lets head on in and everyone be on your best behavior! Give them all a smile worthy of Konoha itself!" Guy instructed brightly as they headed into the inn. He swore he saw Sakura shoot his student's a sympathetic look.

"Yes sir!" Lee said brightly, while the other two just nodded. Desperation tinted his eyes though and his smile seemed forced even as they headed in.

Things would work out though, Guy was sure. Lee would get the rest he needed and then they'd head back to Konoha and everything would be perfect! Lee would stay on the team and Tsunade would get off his back, and in a year or so maybe he could enter his students in the chuunin exams again! It would all work out. It had to.

X

"This is...awesome..." Tenten smiled as she slipped further into the warm water. The next day, while Lee and Guy were at his physical therapy session, the girls and Neji had taken to the springs without so much as a question.

"I know...I'm just glad Naruto isn't here." Sakura said. "You have no idea what that little pervert can be like."

"I have a pretty good idea." she groaned. "But you know he'll probably get worse with Jiraiya-sama as his teacher."

Sakura palmed her face. Wonderful.

"Speaking of teachers though...is your sensei alright? He seemed...umm...stranger than usual." Sakura settled on.

Tenten sighed as she leaned her head back against the warm rocks. That was the question wasn't it? She had known Guy-sensei for almost ten years now, and never had she seen him act like this. Like he was scared of Lee actually trying anything at all. It didn't make sense. Especially since he was always the one that pushed him so hard and tried to get the others to follow. Now he seemed to be pulling Lee back. She wasn't sure if it was because Lee was injured or something else. He had been injured before and their sensei let him spar with that Yagura imposter right after his doctor appointment!

"I don't know." she finally sighed. "I think the whole thing with Yagura really threw him for a loop. From what Lee told me, it could have been a battle to the death."

Sakura's eyes widened.

"They were forced to fight each other?"

"Not exactly. Lee said something about how they had to fight wooden dummies, but the wooden dummies were really them somehow. Probably a connecting jutsu was at the center of it."

"So if they didn't know, they really could have..."

"Yeah. And as strong as Lee is, compared to Guy-sensei, who do you think would have won?" she let her brown hair fall in front of her face. Her entire team was precious to her sensei, Tenten knew. But if something happened to Lee, it would kill him. Especially if he was the reason for it.

"Maybe that's why Lady Tsunade..." Sakura started then cut herself off.

"What? What did Lady Tsunade do?" Tenten knew her sensei had gone to see her when they got back. Had she told him something? Was something really wrong with Lee?

"It's nothing. Just something I overheard her muttering about. She was probably just asleep..."

"Sakura, Lee is my teammate. Guy is my sensei. If something's going on, I need to know." Tenten folded her arms and stared at the pink haired girl. She'd beat it out of her if she had to.

Sakura just shook her head.

"I don't know what's going on. Not really anyways. I just heard her muttering about something before we left." she looked down at the water, biting her lip before she looked up and back into Tenten's eyes. "I think I heard her saying something about...looking for a new team for Lee."

"WHAT?" Tenten's shriek sent heads on the other side whipping around, a flock of birds flying for a nearby tree and for a split second Sakura wasn't sure if she'd signed her own death warrant. "You cannot be serious! Lady Tsunade wouldn't think about that! She knows how..."

"Keep it down." Sakura hushed. "I don't even know for sure. It was just something I heard her talkin about. For all I know she could have been talking about having all of you team up with someone else for a mission."

"That doesn't make sense. If it was for a mission then we would have already been informed about it. And Lee's not even up for commission right now."

Had Lady Tsunade threatened Guy? Tenten didn't doubt she'd be angry when she found out he had to open the inner gates, but would she really go that far? She couldn't do that. Lee was to important to their team and as much as Tenten admired Tsunade, Lee would leave their team over her dead body! Maybe their team wasn't exactly the best, and she knew that Neji and him got into it more than they should, and Lee had been hurt badly, but...they were his team! They were his family. You didn't separate family like that!

"Look, I don't know for sure. I just heard her muttering about it when I walked by her office." until the hole in her wall was repaired it was hard not to hear everything she said. "So don't say anything alright? You'll just freak those two out if you do."

"Something is going on though. I..." Tenten started only to be cut off.

"I am fine sensei. You don't need to stop me from..."

"You just got back from physical therapy, Lee. You don't need to hurt yourself again."

The two girls shot a look at each other as they heard voices coming from over the wooden fence. Grabbing their towels, they jumped out and watched in shock through a small hole. It...no. It was crazy! This was crazy. That would never happen. But...it looked like it was. It looked like Guy-sensei and Lee were actually...fighting?

"We're here so you can get better, Lee. Not so you can reinjure yourself." Guy folded his arms, looking down at the boy.

"I'm not going to reinjure myself, Sensei. I just said I wanted to see if I could beat my record."

"And I told you no! Not today. Your leg wasn't the only thing that was hurt. Your right arm is still swollen..."

"Then I can use my left one." Lee stood up straighter, locking gazes with his sensei. "I can do it!"

"Not right now. Right now, I want you to just rest."

"Why?"

The girls hid a gasp. They had never seen Lee challenge Guy before. They had seen him be frustrated at times and Tenten had seen one time where he sulked a bit after a severe lecture. But they had never seen him talk back to Guy like this.

"What?" Guy was just as surprised as they were.

"Why? You've always told me to push and go further than I thought I could. You always told me to make a limit and then break through it. Now you're telling me to accept them and I don't understand why." anger and confusion choked Lee's voice, and his eyes narrowed.

"There are some things you don't need to understand, Lee. You just need to do them because I'm telling you to. And right now, I'm telling you no more training!"

"But..."

"ENOUGH!" Guy roared and before anyone could blink, they saw Guy's fist connect with Lee's face, sending him back several feet and skidding on the ground, his crutch nearly snapping from the pressure. From the look on Guy's face, it was as much a shock to him as it was to anyone. Lee didn't look shocked at all though. In fact, he looked a little relieved, despite the dark mark that was slowly growing under his left eye.

Tenten then waited for their sensei to go over and help the boy up and hug him. Tell him it was over now or something like that and just explain things to him. She expected something like that to happen. Instead, Guy covered his face with his hand as he shook his head and without another word, turned on his heel and left Lee sitting in the dirt.

The fourteen year old boy looked like his entire world had been crushed and his face had turned blood red from humiliation.

After a few minutes, Lee managed to grab his crutch, and force himself to stand. He headed in the opposite direction of Guy, down towards the forest.

"I'll go after Guy-sensei. You go make sure Lee doesn't get hurt." Tenten said as she hurried towards the girls changing room with Sakura only seconds behind.

To Be Continued...

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the story. Please let me know what you thought.

Have a great day

Be blessed

your friend

innocent-rebel


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto's and Tenten's past when mentioned is based on a good friend of mines.

A/N: Hey guys, I am so sorry it took me so long to get this next part up. I really didn't mean for it to be this long in between updates but life and other things got in the way. Especially work and school. But I did finish school finally! Anyways thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed. It means so much to me to know what you guys think and that you're enjoying the story. It really makes my day and you guys are awesome. So here's the next part and I hope you enjoy it for that is why writer's write.

X

Whether it came from back talking his sensei, the heat of the day, his injuries or a combination, Lee wasn't sure. But he knew he had never felt worse in his life. Not even after being beaten by Gaara had he felt so humiliated and broken.

His sensei was telling him to rest now. The one person who pushed him was now trying to hold him back. Lee knew his sensei was worried about him. That they all were. But knowing they were worried, and felt compassion instead of pity, didn't make accepting his limits any easier. Not when he'd worked so hard to overcome them. Not when the one person who always told him to push himself was suddenly on a 'Lee rest' kick like everyone else was.

Even after the incident with Gaara, Guy-sensei had never told him to just rest before. He'd encouraged him to take it easy, and be careful, but never to just stay still. As soon as he was out of the hospital, Guy had helped him put together a training routine. Sure it was easier, but it was still something. So why now was he acting this way?

Ever since he'd had that meeting with Lady Tsunade, he'd been acting strange. Like he was afraid of something but he wouldn't say what and whenever Lee brought up the meeting, he seemed to grow either sour or distant. That's how the fight had begun. He had asked once again if something happened with Lady Tsunade right before his physical therapy and Guy had dismissed the question with a smile and laugh. It wasn't genuine though, and before Lee could stop himself, he had called his sensei out on it. Saying he needed to know if she'd said something.

Then after therapy the meeting had come up again, this time Guy simply said it wasn't important. Lee hadn't pushed, but when he headed towards the small training room at the back of the springs, Guy had tried to stop him. Giving him no explanation besides stating what they were here for, and that he needed to listen without question.

Lee shook his head. He should have just accepted that. He knew it was wrong to question his sensei! But...he didn't so much want an answer about why he was being held from training, as why Guy was acting so strange. He wanted him to be honest about what happened at that meeting like he was honest with everything else.

_ 'Liar. You're sensei is a liar...' _ Ryudoin's voice whispered in Lee's ears and he felt himself stiffen. _ 'He finally sees that you're worthless. He's just trying to break it to you gently...he's not as cold as others...' _

Lee clutched his head to try and stop the voice and started racing deeper into the forest. It was coming from inside his own mind and fears though. The more he tried to run, and the tighter he gritted his teeth or held his head, the louder the voice became. Before long, he was running blindly into the woods, trying to get that picture of Guy's back to him as he left with Ryudoin, out of his head! He knew Guy didn't know he was watching or mean to hurt him. He knew! But that didn't change the fact he left or that he probably hadn't even thought of asking him to come because of his injuries. Knowing didn't change the fact that once again he was left behind. He was watching the one person in the world he wanted to please the most walk away! It...

"AHhhh!" Lee let out a cry as his crutch twisted and he went flying forward. He tried to go down in a roll so he could come up again, but when he went into position, he slammed his shoulder against sharp rocks, twisting around mid roll and going off to the side towards an embankment. He tried to stop himself but he continued to skid until he tumbled over the side of a three foot drop and landed hard in muddy sand.

He lay there for several minutes, trying to catch his breath and stop the world from spinning overhead.

"At least...you didn't land in the water..." he tried to comfort himself with a forced smile as he finally turned over onto his stomach and pushed himself up into a sitting position. His right leg was throbbing and sticky sand clung to his clothes, hair, and sat uncomfortably between his toes. He never understood why ninja's wore open toed sandals, but he figured it was probably for an important reason. Shaking his hair wildly to get the sand out, he started to feel his right leg.

"Lee? Lee?"

He froze and his eyes widened. Sakura? Despite his current state and the voices that still whispered to him, he felt a genuine smile light up his face.

"Lee? Lee where are you?"

"I'm over here." he raised his hand, hoping it showed above the sandy wall as he waved it around.

"Where? Keep talking."

"Over here. Over the embankment..." he called out again, and seconds later, he heard her footsteps coming closer at a frantic pace. Soon, her head popped over the side and she stared down at him.

"Lee!" she let out a sigh of relief, and dropped down next to him. His crutch was in her hand. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I am fine." he smiled. "Just...wasn't paying that much attention to where I was going and..." he felt himself flush as she picked a large clump of sand from his hair.

This close he could smell her scent, and see how the light reflected in her eyes and off her slick skin. She must have just come from the hot springs...

He bit his cheek to keep his thoughts from wandering into less than wholesome areas.

"From how far away I found this," she pointed to the crutch after dropping the sand. "You must have been going pretty fast."

"I..."

Sakura sighed as she sat back on her legs and folded her arms.

"Lee, what do you think you were doing? You're injured enough as it is. The last thing you need is to be running around and falling off of things."

"I..."

"And don't even try to tell me about your stupid self imposed rules. Those things are going to get you killed one of these days."

"They're the ultimate two step process!" Lee tried to explain. "You fail at something then you use another thing..."

"I know how they work." she narrowed her eyes at him. "But following them like you do isn't going to help you right now. Your rules don't allow you to give yourself any slack even when you need it."

"But I don't need it." Lee said only to be stopped as she planted a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes you do." her voice was stern, then slowly melted into something softer as she lightened her touch. "I may not have known you for very long, Lee, but I've known you long enough. You want to get stronger. You're way of the ninja is everything to you, and you even risked an operation that could have killed you to fight for it. Strength isn't something you seem to ever run out of, no matter what."

His face grew more and more heated as she spoke.

"But common sense is something you're very low on. You're not letting yourself see the big picture like you should."

"The operation though..."

"Was a success. But it didn't make you invincible. Your body is still recovering, your ankle was fractured from that sparring match and..." Sakura cut herself off as she saw Lee's face drop, and what looked like a shiny film came over his eyes. "Lee..."

" Please...Sakura. You know...how I feel about you, but...please do not speak about something you don't understand like you do." he bit his lip, hating the fact he looked like this in front of her. He couldn't help it though. The more he tried to stop himself from feeling this way, the worse it became.

"What don't I understand?"

"I understand the risks. I know that continuing to push myself like this is foolish. I really do know...but I can't stop." he whispered. "You're a very strong person, Sakura. Stronger than you give yourself credit for and you've proven it to everyone. But me...everyday, I have to prove my worth all over again. Everyday, I have to show everyone that someone who has no natural talent is worthy to be a ninja, because if I don't...only a few people remember." he wasn't talking out of self pity. He didn't care that he had to prove himself everyday. Did he want to? No. But he knew that until he made it to be the best ninja possible, he had to remind those around him constantly that he was worth something. He had to remind himself that he was worth something. Everyday was a fight against the lie he'd been told years ago, and grown up believing until only two years ago.

"That's where you're wrong. No one forgets how strong you are. Not even those who might have once thought you were weak. Do you know that even though you lost to Gaara at the chuunin exams, everyone still talks about what you did? I've helped out at the academy before and at least once a month someone tells that story. You're not weak, Lee. You're a hero!" she cupped his face in her soft hands, forcing him to look at her. "Don't you know that?"

He wanted to say yes. He wanted to nod and stand up proudly and proclaim his worth! That's what he wanted to do, and then show off how strong he was. But his eyes betrayed him, and the answer was clear. No. He didn't know he was a hero. Everyday, he struggled to believe he was something. To believe in himself like he was supposed to. He was getting better at it! But overcoming a lifetime of being told he was pathetic and a loser, wasn't something he could just do overnight. Much as he'd like it to be.

Wiping his eyes, Lee swallowed hard and tried to force a smile back on his face.

" Please forgive me, Sakura. I did not mean to burden you with such nonsense. I am fine. Really...just out of it because of the fall. I landed on my head." he laughed as if it were nothing. When he tried to move though, Sakura held on. "Sak..."

"Lee...please. Right now...I don't know what to say to help you. If I had the magic words I'd use them in a heartbeat...but I don't. All I know is that you're my friend, and I'm worried about you. I really am..." she wiped away what was left of the tear trail with her thumbs, ignoring the way the boy's cheeks turned pink and careful of his bruise. "So please, for me, just for awhile, stop training...please?"

Was this how she looked when she asked Sasuke to stay? Her eyes were wide and filled with emotion, and her heart seemed to be completely open as her voice begged for something. Not for her own gain, but for someone else's. Was this the last thing he saw? If so...how could he have left?

Lee didn't know, but he knew he couldn't hurt her in the same way. Even if it killed him inside, even if it was just for awhile, he'd pause his training. He'd try and keep himself from doing anything to hurt her.

"A...alright. For awhile...I will stop." the words twisted inside of him and he felt something inside his chest snap. But the smile on Sakura's face eased the pain somewhat.

"Thank you. Now, lets look at that leg of yours." she said and after examining the leg, readjusting the bandages, and finding an easier way out of the ditch, she helped him out, and walked besides him back to town.

X

_ "I want to prove to everyone that even a person who can't use ninjistu or genjutsu can still become a splendid ninja. That's your shinobi path isn't?" _

His fist hit harder and harder against the dead trunk.

_ "It's a great goal. One that's really worth fighting for." _

His leg struck against the wood so hard a chunk splintered off nearly clipping him in face, only to be demolished by a palm strike.

_ "It's the path you've chosen so have faith and follow it! Become such a strong fighter that I can just sit back and enjoy the show." _

An axe kick came down on one of the remaining branches. Severing it completely and showering splinters everywhere.

_ "You got that Lee?"_

"Yes sir!" 

"HIYAH!" his cry cut through the clearing, sending a flock of birds shooting from their nests as his fist crashed through the center of the thick wood. When he pulled it out, it was embedded with splinters and tiny trails of blood ran across his knuckles and the top of his hand. Guy didn't feel it though. Not past the stinging that was already there.

He couldn't believe he hit Lee like that. Sure, he'd socked the kid a few times to get his attention and more than once slapped him upside the head and made him run until he dropped. But not when he was injured. Not when he was already going through enough that he didn't need anything more, and he had never left without saying something afterwards. Usually after a short lecture he excused his student's mistake and let it be. Engulfing him in a hug to let him know all was forgiven.

This time though...he didn't know what to do. He had been so close to just grabbing Lee by the shoulders and shaking him while he explained what the Hokage had told him. He wanted to do that...but he couldn't. It shouldn't have been this hard to talk to Lee about this. They'd had talks far more serious and always pulled through. What was making it hard this time though was that he couldn't give Lee an absolute promise that nothing would happen. Even if he stopped training now, he couldn't guarantee Lee that Tsunade wouldn't take him away or...that he thought it was the wrong thing to do. When he first heard the idea, he'd been so against it he felt like carving NO into Tsunade's desk.

Now he wondered. The physical therapist said Lee was doing better, but that could easily change. She told Lee, to his face, that if he tried pushing to hard he could permanently damage something. So what does the little fool go and do? He wants to see if he can beat his record of pull ups as soon as they're out of there!

He wanted to do...exactly what Guy would have wanted to do in his situation. Lee was following his example more than Guy ever thought he would without even thinking about it. And that could kill him.

_ "No matter what it takes, even if I have to die for my dream, I will do it." _ he remembered Lee announcing to him as he waited to learn how to open the inner gates. He remembered the fire in the boy's eyes and how he'd helped stoked it till it was an inferno! Then he remembered that sickening sound of cracking bones, tearing muscles and the scream that ripped from Lee's throat as he was crushed under Gaara's sand.

Pinching his eyes shut, Guy tried to avoid reliving the memory, but it was impossible not to see and after that, the way he stood again. Near death, but unwilling to give up. He had proven himself that day to be a ninja, who perhaps could one day surpass even the most talented jounin.

Guy had helped him reach that. He'd helped push and push and push him. Never taking an 'I can't' or cry of pain as an excuse. When Lee fell, he'd help him up but expected him to go ten times harder at the challenge than before. His promise to dedicate his life to training Lee depended on the boy as well.

_"S...sensei...I...I can't breath. I can't..." _a flash from a hospital visit raced through his mind. He'd been sitting next to Lee, reading something and talking when all of the sudden the boy started coughing. He couldn't stop and soon red flecks were coming from his mouth that grew in size. Later, Guy found out that a rib had punctured one of Lee's lungs and caused internal bleeding. That was the day he found out Lee had been training despite his injuries.

And he'd praised him. He'd warned him of course, and told him to be careful, but without thinking, he told the boy that's exactly what he would have done.

Only now though, was he truly beginning to see how dangerous his words could be.

Maybe it would be better, if just for awhile, Lee was assigned to another team. He wouldn't have to stay there forever, and they'd hold his spot open without question! But maybe, even if it hurt him now, it'd be better in the long run...

As this thought settled inside his mind, Guy found himself for the first time, truly hating Ryudoin. The first time he'd felt such hatred rise up was when he was trapped in the castle fighting Lee. The second time, was when he found out what he'd said to Lee. This time though, was the first time he hated that man so much he wouldn't have minded killing him. This was the first time he ever found himself wishing death would find him. Because if he hadn't misunderstood his father, if he hadn't sought revenge in a cowardly way, then maybe they wouldn't be here right now. Maybe Lee would be doing better and Guy wouldn't have this choice to make or thought in his head!

Or maybe, he hated Ryudoin so much, because he forced an unexpected issue to come up faster. If it hadn't been against him, Lee might have had to use his technique against someone else. If not then, then eventually, and more than likely before he was completely healed. He would use the technique again, Guy knew. Perhaps next time though he wouldn't be as lucky.

_ "It's none of my business what that child means to you, and I'll spare us both the lecture about not being governed by your feelings...but you crossed a line on this!" _ Kakashi's voice rattled inside his head. _ "You disappoint me Guy." _

Even if Kakashi later said that he probably would have done the same thing in Guy's place, it didn't change the fact that right then, he spoke the truth. Guy had crossed a line. He knew he was crossing one when he taught Lee and he didn't care. He...just wanted to help the boy so much that he put him in a situation where he could have been killed. A situation Lee followed him into, completely trusting him with every ounce of innocence he had.

Resting his head against the rotten trunk, Guy felt a burning sensation in his eyes. He never meant to hurt Lee. That was the last thing he ever wanted to do, but his influence was so great over the boy and since he couldn't change he who was...maybe he needed to change who Lee looked to for guidance. Though it killed him to think about it.

"Sensei?" a sudden voice cut through his thoughts and Guy turned to find Tenten standing behind him. Her wet hair was down and clung to the back of her black shirt, and a concerned look was written all over her face.

"Tenten, what are you doing out here?" he asked, forcing his voice to be light. "I thought you were enjoying the hot springs with Sakura-chan."

"It's hard to enjoy when you overhear two people fighting." she said softly.

Guy's eyes widened, and his attempted smile fell as he rubbed the back of his head.  
"So you heard then."

"Yes. We weren't spying or anything...we just...well we heard you and I've never actually seen you two fight with each other. I didn't even know it was possible for you two to disagree."

Guy let out a hollow laugh. He'd heard a few jokes over the years that he and Lee must share a brain. It wasn't surprising his students thought so as well.

"It was over nothing important. Just..."

"If it wasn't important there wouldn't have been an argument." Tenten said as she came closer.

Caught, Guy looked to the side.

"Lee was being a little over zealous was all. He needs to learn to accept his limits..."

Tenten's jaw dropped.

"Alright! Who are you and what have done with Guy-sensei? I want to know right now you imposter!" she pointed a finger at him, going into a crouching position as if to attack. When she saw her humor fall flat, she stood up straight.

"Why are you telling him to limit himself all of a sudden? Usually you're telling Neji and me to try and keep up."

"Its...different this time, Tenten. It's not really something I can..."

"Did Lady Tsunade say she'd take Lee off the team?"

The shock her question brought was almost enough to make Guy double over and all the breath left his body as if he'd been struck. How did she know? Tsunade wouldn't have went behind his back and told the others would she? Did Lee know? Was that why he was trying to push so much harder?

"Sakura mentioned something..." Tenten went on. "She told me not to mention it but...I didn't think it was something you wouldn't know about."

His silence was saying it all. Yes, he knew about it. And no, he hadn't told Lee. His body language was betraying him as he tried to regain his wits and put some air back into his lungs. Every breath hurt though. Thinking about what happened was one thing. But having it vocalized made it all so real and worse than he imagined.

"I don't know why the Hokage would do that...but..."

"She's worried about Lee's safety." he managed.

Tenten's eyes widened.

"Why? He got hurt but all shinobi get hurt. It's..."

"It's not just that he got hurt. It's that he's been getting hurt again and again." he forced himself to look straight at the girl. "Under my care. You know...I taught Lee forbidden techniques." if he couldn't be honest with Lee, at least he could be honest with someone.

"Yeah...but it's not like you're the first. And you told him not to use them unless he had to. I was at the castle, sensei. I know what you were up against. If you two hadn't used..."

"That isn't the point. The point is I taught him, and it could have killed him." there was a strange emotion that settled in his eyes. A mix between horror and grief. "In teaching him that, I could have put all of your lives in danger. If he had ever used that against Neji as I intended to let him in the final round...he could have killed him."

Tenten's face paled, and Guy felt as if he'd slapped her.

"Then why..."

"Because I wasn't thinking about that. I was only thinking of helping Lee and I let my emotions cloud my judgment. I should have never taught him that."

Tenten nodded. Then this wasn't just about him worrying about Lee. Guy was worried about all of them and doubting himself as a teacher. He was worried he would put them all in jeopardy.

"After the fight with Gaara, I never told him to rest. I never explained to him why limits can be a good thing sometimes. Even I have mine, and there are some I don't push. Such as opening the eighth gate. But I never told him that and now..." he rubbed between his eyes, ignoring the way he smeared blood on his face as he turned away from Tenten towards the trunk, and began striking it again.

_ 'Have I done the same to you and Neji?' _ he wanted to ask. He always tried to push them all has much as possible, but had it affected them in the same way? He was never that close with Neji, though he tried and though few, there were times the boy would come to ask him for help. With Tenten though...he was almost as worried as he was about Lee. She was known for her independence and her easy going manner, but ever since she was five he had acted as somewhat of a father to her. Could he have done something throughout the years that would hurt her later? He quickly ran through as many lessons as he could remember, trying to be certain he had never taught her anything foolish.

He didn't think he had...though he had come close one time. Part of him was still debating teaching her a special trick to use with the weapon scrolls she carried, but after what happened with Lee, he wasn't sure.

It was ironic in a way. He had once told Lee that all his hard work was useless unless he believed in himself. Now, years later he was at a similar place, with doubts of his own.

"Guy-sensei..." Tenten bit her lip as she came closer, and he turned to look at her once again. Before he could blink she had launched herself at him and was wrapping her arms around him in a fierce protective hug.

"Tenten..."

"It's not your fault." she said as she held tighter. "Maybe it was stupid to teach him those techniques, but it's not your fault he got hurt. Back then Gaara would have tried to kill whoever he was fighting." she pulled away some, so she was looking straight up into his eyes. "As for pushing him, you're the only one who ever has. Lee needed that. At the academy none of the teachers ever did that. Even I never pushed him."

Guy hid a smirk. Tenten never pushed Lee, because she was always there to try and fight his battles. He still remembered one day when he had to pick her up because she'd beaten up a boy who'd called Lee a loser.

"Then you came along and...I don't know what you did. But you inspired Lee. It was like watching someone pick up broken pieces and make them into something that no one expected." a smile lit her face as she touched a scar on her cheek that had been the result of one of her father's drunken rages. Guy had treated it along with the others. "You're good at that you know. Fixing things no one else thinks to."

His chest swelled and his eyes burned. Wonderful. Of all the times to cry! Why did his students always have this affect on him?

"So...just quit worrying alright? Even if you've made mistakes before, that doesn't mean you can't make better decisions today. The Guy-sensei I know, would be the first to agree with me." her dark brown eyes latched onto his and Guy felt himself smiling despite the tears that were leaking out as he wrapped her in a crushing hug.

"Thank you, Tenten..." he said, squeezing harder. "I think...that is just what I needed to hear." who was he kidding? Lee wasn't leaving his team. Why did he even think about that? It was complete foolishness and as soon as he got back to Konoha he'd let Tsunade know that. If she insisted on it...well then he would go down as history as the first one to defy her and live! More than likely he would be broken all over, but he'd be alive.

"You're...welcome..." Tenten gasped. "But...you're crushing me..." she wheezed and instantly Guy let up.

"Hehheh. Sorry..." he ruffled her hair, shinning a genuine grin. "And I did not mean to burden you with such things. It..."

"Don't worry, sensei. Even you need a dose of self confidence once in awhile." she beamed as she grabbed his hand. "Now, lets get back to the hot springs!"

Guy chuckled as he followed behind her and for the first time he felt some sort of relief. He still needed to talk to Lee, but now it didn't seem as hard as he thought it would be. All he had to do was explain why he'd been acting how he had and just talk to the boy. Lee would understand.

Taking in a deep breath of forest air, Guy let it fill his lungs and then smirked as he looked at Tenten.

"Last one back does two hundred laps!" he yelled and took off with a dash.

"What? No! Sensei!" Tenten cried as she took after him. "C'mon! That's so not fair!" she whined.

Guy only laughed louder, kicking up dust behind him as he ran.

"I'm not even going full speed!"

"Well...ugh!"

He knew he'd win from the second he started, but Guy decided against making Tenten do two hundred laps. Maybe just fifty. A little exercise was good for the heart! As well as good for keeping doubts at bay. Tenten's words were like an ointment he'd desperately needed, but the wound created earlier was still there and it still throbbed. He just needed to talk to Lee is all. Once the boy understood then everything would be fine. All he needed was a little bit of luck along...

"SAKURA! LOOK OUT!"

Guy had a split second to see everything happen as he snapped his full attention in front of him and watched as Sakura crossed his path, only to be shoved out of the way by Lee. He tried to stop. He pulled back and tried to stop, but he was going to fast and before his student had a chance to move, he'd careened right into the boy. Slamming him to the ground and skidding a few feet as they both rolled in the dirt and over rocks. He heard something snap as it happened and he felt his entire face drain of color as he dug his hands into the ground to come to a halt. When he did, he was up in a flash, and over at Lee's side.

"Lee! Are you alright? Lee..." he helped turn the boy over onto his back and ease him into a sitting position. Lee let out a soft groan as he sat in the dirt, and Guy instantly began inspecting him.

"I'm fine sensei. I'm alright." Lee said.

"I heard something crack..." Guy said only to have Lee point off the side where his crutch lay in two pieces against a rock. He let a shaking breath. Lee was alright. He was fine and safe and nothing was wrong. He was fine. "They certainly don't make those things like they...Lee. Don't try and stand." he put his hand on Lee's shoulders, but then saw Lee wasn't trying to stand up. He was pushing himself into a kneeling position, and soon had his forehead pressed to the dirt. "What..."

"I am sorry, Guy-sensei. I...I shouldn't have argued with you. It's not my place to ask you why...I am really truly sorry. Please forgive me." his tone was mixture of thick and numb at the same time.

"Lee...Lee it's alright." he pushed the boy back up, but when he looked into his eyes, he felt like he had been struck by lightning. They looked so...dead. There was a smile on his face, but his eyes looked completely blank. Like he had lost all the fire in them and the embers that remained were dying out.

Lee...

"Is he alright?" Sakura came up behind him, and kneeled down.

Guy nodded automatically.

"Yes, he's fine." from the fall, yes. Lee seemed to be alright. But the look in his eyes told Guy he was far from fine. This was in fact, probably the worst he had ever looked. But why did he look like this? What had happened...did Sakura tell him?

"I have promised Sakura that I will not train for awhile and I make that same promise to you, sensei. I'm sorry, I disappointed or worried you." it was all he had to say for Guy to feel like someone had stuck a knife into his gut and twisted with everything they had.

He needed to talk to him. He needed to talk to him so bad about what happened and...but not right now. Right now his mouth was dry, his heart was cracking, and the harder he tried to find the student he knew and loved behind those dead eyes, the harder it was to see a flicker of him.

"Lets...talk about it later. I have something I need to speak with you about later anyways." he said, carefully helping the boy to his feet, and guiding him inside. Sakura picked up the crutch and when she spilled out of the forest, Tenten took Lee's other arm around her shoulder.

All the while, voices continued to whisper to both student and teacher. Voices of doubts, fears, and twisted memories, that haunted them long after they stepped into the inn, and long after they went to bed that night.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Hope you guys like it, and I promise the next update will not be that far from now. Please let me know what you think and have a great day.

Be Blessed

Your friend

innocent-rebel


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